A Dentist With a Dark Side
by Diminished Comet
Summary: Rey is a professional analyst employed in Coruscant City. However she often works herself too hard and neglects her health. Due to her hectic schedule and latent phobias, she is long overdue a visit to the dentist. She now has toothache which cannot be ignored! Luckily (or unluckily) for Rey, a highly renowned dental specialist named Kylo Ren is available to see her at short notice
1. Work to Live, Don't Live to Work

To an outside observer Rey Kenobi seemed to have an enviable life. She was an attractive and gifted young professional, one of the most highly-paid and talented analysts employed at the renowned Global Financial giant 'Organa PLC'.

Intelligent, driven and successful no matter what project was assigned to her; that was Rey in a nutshell! Co-workers and superiors alike had nothing but praise for her dedication and attention to detail.

But what a lot of people didn't know, was that she'd put an extraordinary amount of _extra_ effort into making a successful career for herself. Many of the analysts in her division had family connections within the company or attended renowned private schools which had automatically enabled them to get a foot on the corporate ladder. Rey on the other hand was an orphan who'd grown up on an infamous impoverished Jakku council estate. Her schooling was 'distinguished' only because she'd attended a well-known 'rough' academy, which had the dubious honour of being placed at the _bottom_ of the Coruscant exam league tables.

Rey had circumvented the elitist prejudice of the graduate program and instead entered Organa PLC via an apprenticeship. She had proven her worth time and again to her managers who quickly discovered the difference between Rey's ingenuity and willingness to 'muck-in, compared to the lack of practical skills her graduate peers seemed to bring with them from their 'red-brick' universities.

Young Rey had the gritty determination of one who had always had to fight for survival and never normally shied away from difficult situations. However this did not mean she was hard-hearted.

On the contrary Rey had a friendly personality. She was highly skilled, yet modest about her achievements as well as being a little bit shy. These endearing qualities had captivated more than one of her male colleagues. But unfortunately for her would-be suitors, she was oblivious to their crushes, because Rey had _one_ overarching fault to her character:

She was a workaholic.

Rey would be the first to admit that she was occasionally _too_ devoted to her projects. She just didn't see it as a big issue.

Close colleagues like her friend and fellow analyst Finn noted with concern that Rey rarely socialised with them outside of networking and business events. Finn also correctly suspected that she didn't really have much to do with friends not connected to Organa PLC either.

She would always be the first one in the office in the morning and the last one to leave in the evening. Rey would also often skip breakfast or lunch in efforts to meet her tight deadlines.

A fine example of her pushing things too far had been when Chewie, (one of Organa PLC's night watchman) had seen a faint glow emanating from floor fifteen of the head office at 11.30pm on a Friday evening. He'd gone upstairs to investigate, torch in hand and he'd been shocked to find Rey huddled in the darkness. She'd been working on a particularly complex report, fine-tuning paragraphs of text and creating neat and informative diagrams to complement the content of her analysis. The glow of her five monitors reflected off her glasses and she was so engrossed that she jumped in alarm when the tall, hairy guard tapped her on the shoulder.

 _"You shouldn't be here Rey; it's the weekend for crying out loud! A pretty young lady like you should be out with her friends and having fun,"_ he had chastised her.

 _"Don't worry,"_ she'd assured Chewie. _"I'll be gone in about fifteen minutes; I just have to get this thing finished before I go."_

In the end she hadn't left until well after 1am.

 _"You need to sort out your work-life balance Rey!"_ Finn would often tell her. _"You're going to burn yourself out if you're not careful. Work to live, don't live to work!"_

Rey would just smile and nod as she always did when people gave her this advice. Pretending like she was going to heed it, but in reality she had no intention of changing her ways at all.

Illness was something else she refused to give in to. If she had a cold, she'd drink several mugs of Lemsip and carry packs of Aloe Vera tissues in her laptop case to ensure she could deliver that important executive board presentation as promised.

If she had a headache or stomach cramps, then painkillers would be downed without a second thought.

However, Rey's neglect of her health was about to catch up with her…

* * *

It was another Monday morning in rainy Coruscant City and just like most Mondays Rey Kenobi was sitting at her cluttered desk, staring at computer monitors and scrolling through another large batch of emails.

Without turning her head, she reached out and grabbed a square of chocolate from the bowl she kept by her keyboard. Rey liked sugary foodstuffs and in the absence of proper meals she would often just nibble on cakes and sweets all day. There was never any shortage, as she worked in a large office where it was always someone's birthday, anniversary, or leaving day. She found this to be very convenient and a great time-saver.

She pushed the chocolate into her mouth and bit down. Her eyes instantly bulged as she was hit by a wave of _agonising_ pain!

 _"Mmmmf Ahgh!"_ she moaned and then spat the broken, melted chocolate back into her hand. She clumsily wiped her messy fingers on some nearby loose sheets of A4 paper, without caring if anybody saw her or not. The only thing she could think about at that moment was how _terrible_ the ache was in the lower-left part of her jaw!

 _"Fuuuccckk!"_ she said under her breath and clasped the side of her face with her hand and clenched her eyes shut, trying to remain composed.

"Are you alright Rey?" asked her team manager Poe Dameron. She couldn't open her mouth to respond to him, so instead she nodded frantically, trying to wave him away. Poe wasn't fooled though.

"I know that look Rey, I've worn it myself once or twice… you've got toothache."

Rey tried to ignore her boss while she opened her laptop bag. She scrabbled around for the trusty painkillers she always kept in reserve for situations such as this. She took out a silver box of Ibuprofen capsules and popped out a couple of pills which she promptly swallowed down without liquid. She did this with the practiced ease of a person who relied on medicinal pain relief a little too much.

"Get yourself to the dentist Rey, you can have the rest of the day off to get yourself sorted," said Poe. "I can handle things here."

Rey forced her mouth to work.

"But… I have to get this report to Marketing by end of play to- owwwww!"

"I _insist_ Rey!" said Poe sternly. "There is no way you can work if the pain is that bad. Now save the report, before I pull the plug out from that damned PC of yours."

Rey hung her head in defeat, for once she would have to pay attention to what her body was telling her. She couldn't remember experiencing any pain quite like the throbbing she had in one of her molars right now.

There was no way to fight off this one. The Ibuprofen might numb the pain for a little while, but it would just come back after a few hours and it would get worse if she left it to linger.

"Fine," she mumbled and began closing down the various applications she had open on her computer.

Poe nodded in approval and turned back to his own terminal.

But the truth of the matter was that Rey's mind was now in frantic turmoil!

What Poe didn't know was that aside from the fact that Rey was loathe to miss her deadline, she was also _petrified_ of visiting dentists. She was a brave woman in most regards, but she'd always had a secret phobia about dentists, dental instruments and dental surgeries in general. In fact she hadn't been to see a dentist in fifteen years!

Organa PLC had a top-notch company health package and as she was considered a key employee within the organisation, she automatically had free access to a full range of highest quality medical cover… including dentistry. She would have to check the corporate policy and make an appointment somewhere.

 _"Maker… I really don't want to do this!"_ she screamed internally.

The first thing she would need to do is go home and to try and calm herself.

She logged off her computer and gathered up various documents, putting them into her leather portfolio binder. She placed the binder into her laptop bag beside the laptop itself and various other essentials before finally zipping everything up.

"Maybe I can catch up on some work during the commute," she thought.

Rey pulled on the practical brown coat hanging from the back of her swivel-chair and slinging her bag around her shoulder, she started walking towards the lift.

Finn, who had witnessed Rey's cry of pain and the subsequent conversation with Poe; gave her a disparaging roll of his eyes when he spied her bulging case as she walked past his desk.

"Don't even think about working remotely on Citrix Rey, please just go to the dentist and try to relax for the rest of the day," he called out to her.

Rey turned her head and smiled acknowledgement to him before entering the lift and letting the sliding doors close behind her.

* * *

The painkillers had started to work their magic as she'd boarded her train home, but by the time Rey had reached her apartment block and unlocked the door to her flat, they were already wearing off. There was a dull humming ache which was distracting her as it started to increase in intensity.

In the end she'd not been able to complete any work on her commute journey. She'd been too on edge about being forced to face her fears and visit the dreaded dentist…

She ran through various scenarios in her mind… there _had_ to be some way of avoiding this!

 _"Don't be stupid Rey,"_ she told herself. _"This is your own fault for not paying attention to oral hygiene. You're going to have to deal with it._

She pulled her laptop from its case and switched it on reluctantly. She sat on the bed in her small bedroom, holding the device on her lap, waiting for it to power up fully.

Rey was mentally berating herself, for she knew she consumed far too much sugar; although it was partly to get her through her hectic work schedule.

Biscuits, sugary coffee, fizzy drinks; she ate and drank them all on a daily basis.

It wasn't that she didn't want to brush her teeth; it was more that she just sometimes plain _forgot_ ; especially in the evenings when she was tired from the daily grind. It was so easy to fall asleep without scrubbing the gunk out of her mouth.

From outward appearances Rey's teeth looked healthy enough, they were fairly straight and had very little discolouration; but she'd felt twinges of discomfort even before today. They had been fleeting and she'd made excuses to herself such as: the temperature in the air being 'cold' or she just had 'sensitive teeth'. Deep down though she'd known it was _decay_.

Now that her laptop had booted up, Rey typed in the URL of Organa PLC's insurance providers into the browser and then connected via their portal using her company credentials. The corporate policy came up on screen and she scrolled through the various illnesses and ailments covered until she reached the section on dental procedures. In Coruscant City the only surgery that was registered was named 'First Order Dental Clinic'. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and programmed the contact number into her mobile phone.

"I can do this… I can do this," she said to herself.

She pressed the call button and took a deep breath as she listened to the autodial. After three rings her call was answered.

"Good morning, First Order Dental Clinic, Phasma Brienne speaking; how may I help?" said a low posh-sounding female voice.

"H-hello, good morning… um my name is Rey Kenobi… I have pain in my tooth and I uh… need to make an appointment today… because um…"

The woman Phasma interrupted her.

"Are you registered with our practice Ms Kenobi?" the woman asked briskly.

"Well no…well kind of, your clinic is listed on my employer's dental plan and…"

"We cannot book treatments for new clients without them first seeing a dentist for an examination. I'm afraid at such short notice we have no free examination slots this week. Our specialists are _very_ much in demand and we normally recommend you make an appointment at least one month in advance," Phasma said curtly.

"Oh… well, I thought if I was in pain that y-you…," she could not finish her sentence and she was starting to sweat, she couldn't deal with this kind of rudeness when she was so nervous already.

Phasma, whom Rey assumed was the clinic receptionist; seemed to pause after she heard Rey's flustered words. She suddenly started being a bit more helpful…

"One of our leading dentists will _sometimes_ makes concessions for urgent treatments… depending on whether or not they meet certain conditions. I'll need to ask a few personal questions first to see if you meet the criteria, are you OK with that?"

Rey could feel the pain coming back in earnest now and she just wanted to get this whole ordeal over with as quickly as possible.

"Yes… it's fine," confirmed Rey.

"Are you registered with any other dental practices at the moment?"

"No," she stated

"When was the last time you saw a dental practitioner or orthodontist?"

Rey cringed as she admitted the truth "F-fifteen years, I was just a kid… I don't recall the n-name of the dentist..."

A particularly nasty jolt of pain suddenly wracked her skull and Rey hoped she could wrap the call up soon.

"Thank-you Ms Kenobi, please can you tell me your ethnicity, age and the city or town written on your birth certificate."

"I'm white, twenty-six and from… Jakku," she said the last name quickly. She hated herself for it, but she always felt a little ashamed to admit she was from such a notorious shithole, especially to snooty receptionists.

"Alright, now can you please describe your appearance for me?"

W-what?" stuttered Rey. "What do you mean?"

"We need to know how to recognise you. The clinic must protect itself from individuals who turn up for other people's appointments as well as insurance fraud and the like," Phasma explained in the same business-like tone. "Now would you say your build is slim or large?"

It felt weird to be asked this sort of question, but she hadn't seen a dentist for so long and perhaps this was all standard practice and she was just acting like an ignorant idiot from Jakku.

"Well I guess I'm slim, medium height…"

"What colour hair do you have, would you say it's long or short?"

"It's long and dark brown, shoulder-length, but I often tie it up"

"Eye colour?"

This seemed a little excessive, but Rey answered nonetheless. "They're kind of green-brown… hazel I suppose."

"Thank-you Ms Kenobi that should be enough information. Now I think you've already mentioned that you are suffering with some pain at the moment. Would I be correct in assuming that you also suffer from… _anxiety_ when it comes to dental procedures?"

Rey hated to own up to any sort of weakness, but there was no point in hiding her phobia. It was obvious the receptionist had caught on to it just by talking on the phone. It would certainly be written all over her face as soon as she stepped into the surgery.

"Y-yes, s-sorry, will that be a problem?" asked Rey awkwardly, thinking perhaps this call may have been a waste of time after all.

"Oh no… I'm _sure_ it won't be," said the receptionist with a strange hint of mirth in her tone.

"I just have to run these details by our dentist to see if he can fit you in today. "One moment please, while I put you on hold." Rey heard a click before being treated to some classical Naboo symphonies to listen to while she waited.

Rey used this opportunity to put her mobile on speaker phone. She was starting hyperventilate just from trying to make this wretched appointment. She leapt off her bed and ran into the nearby bathroom.

Opening the small mirrored cabinet above the sink, she looked through the various cosmetics and medication she'd collected and forgotten over the years… but there was nothing in there that would help calm her nerves.

However she did find some ibuprofen with added codeine, which would provide a little extra pain relief compared to what she'd taken earlier. The capsules were slightly larger too and would require liquid to swallow them this time.

She turned on the cold tap and water gushed out into the basin. Taking two pills out of the blister pack, she placed one on her tongue before sticking her mouth under the tap and taking a large gulp to help swallow it down. She did the same for the second pill. As the cold water swished on her bad tooth she winced at the pain it caused.

She went back into the bedroom and sat back on her bed just as the music on the phone abruptly cut off and the receptionist Phasma started talking again. Rey did not bother to turn off the speaker phone.

"Good news Ms Kenobi, we can indeed book you in today. Our leading dentist Kylo Ren reviewed your details in conjunction with your past records and he would _very_ much like you to come in and see him as _soon_ as possible, would 4pm be suitable for you?"

It seemed to Rey that the manner of the receptionist was a bit more respectful since she'd spoken to this dentist 'Kylo Ren'.

"Yes, that would be great, thank-you," replied Rey.

Within her mind though she was instead shouting _"No it's not great, I would rather go anywhere than to your stupid dental clinic! I'm fucking scared, you snobby cow."_

"Wonderful we look forward to seeing you in a few hours then"


	2. Welcome to the First Order Dental Clinic

As she ended her call and laid her mobile phone down on her bed, Rey felt a small measure of relief. She'd completed the first step and actually _made_ an appointment to see a dentist.

She'd also been gifted a few hours to prepare herself mentally for the ordeal…

 _"For the sound of the drills."_

She suddenly felt queasy and held a hand to her mouth in an effort to halt the instinct to heave up.

She hated herself for having a phobia which made her feel so wretched and weak.

As a woman working in a predominantly male working environment, Rey had always been very careful to hide any personal information or emotional outbursts that might wrongly be perceived as 'female weakness.' It was part of the reason she worked herself so hard and resisted connections and relationships with her male colleagues.

Even outside of the office environment, this determination to be independent and strong was ingrained in her psyche. It was important to Rey that she pull herself together and push away her dental phobia, because she _really_ didn't want to break down in girlish tears or embarrass herself at the clinic today. Therefore Rey decided she would fall back on the habits that had served her so well in her professional life. She would treat this visit to the dentist just like she would an upcoming workshop or the chairing of an important client meeting.

' _Preparation is key.'_

Turning once more to the details displayed on her laptop, she noted the address of First Order Dental Clinic was given as 'Endor Road.'

" _That's only a couple of miles away in the Senate district,"_ she thought as she planned the route in her head. She'd only need to catch one landspeeder train to get where she needed to be. This was good news because she was in _no_ mood to travel extensively on the Coruscant City underground today!

The next step in her preparation would be to get out of her work clothes and into something less restrictive. Practical Rey deduced that she would probably feel more relaxed if she could freely move her limbs while being examined in a dentist's chair.

After stripping off her smart looking grey skirt and matching suit-jacket, she was left wearing only her trusty plain black cotton underwear and sensible black bra. She had many identical sets of these tucked away in her drawers… It just made things _easier_ in the mornings.

Opening her wardrobe, Rey regarded the shelves inside which held piles of neatly folded clothes. She took out a pair of simple blue denim skinny jeans and tossed them onto the bed. She then began browsing through the various tops and blouses arranged on hangers and finally selected a white, short-sleeved slim-fitting shirt. It was one of Rey's favourite casual tops, which had intricate grey floral patterns around the v neck collar and hem. Nodding to herself she took it out of the wardrobe and laid it on the bed next to the jeans.

It occurred to her that it might be a good idea to clean her teeth again before her visit today. Her mouth already tasted grotty since this morning. Instinctively she exhaled on the back of her hand to try and test how bad her breath was, but it was impossible to tell properly.

" _Better to be safe than sorry,"_ she thought and she once again entered her bathroom, but this time semi-naked. Grabbing her electric toothbrush she squeezed a liberal amount of paste onto the head and held it under the tap to moisten it before switching the device on and moving it around her teeth to clean them. She attempted to take care scrubbing around her lower left jaw, but it was impossible not to irritate that one troublesome tooth!

" _Shit, that hurts!"_ she moaned around a mouth full of white froth.

After Rey had finished brushing, she spat the leftover paste into the basin and rinsed her mouth out with water. She then grabbed her bottle of minty mouthwash and poured a generous dose into the cap and swigged it back with a long gargle before subsequently gobbing that out into the basin as well.

" _That should get rid of any lingering coffee breath from the morning,"_ she thought.

Rey also decided that she'd better wash her face and reapply her make-up. She'd worn some rather dark lipstick that morning and the last thing she wanted was to have it smudging around her lips as someone was examining her mouth. Also those bright lights that dentists and doctors use show up every blemish and imperfection on your skin... At least that's what she'd been told by Poe's secretary and resident office 'beauty expert' Jessika Pava, who always seemed to be able to turn up looking immaculate; no matter what the occasion!

After carefully cleansing and moisturising, she applied a very light foundation evenly over her face and neck. The colour blended nicely with her natural skin tones. Instead of wearing lipstick, she simply rubbed on some balm which plumped her lips a little bit and gave just a hint of extra pinkness. There was no need for mascara, the dentist would not be looking at her eyes…

Rey surveyed herself in the mirror critically. It had actually taken her quite a while to complete this simple bare essentials look and she chalked this up to her current nervous disposition. All in all though, she was happy that her complexion would not look _too_ frightful under the glare of a powerful lamp.

Rey only used make-up as a necessary mask of conformity and rarely took the time to put on a lot of it. She didn't wear it to look more attractive or hide the signs of aging, it was more for keeping up a professional appearance. It wouldn't do to meet a prospective new client with an unconcealed zit on her chin or prominent dark shadows under her eyes indicating lack of sleep.

"Right... get yourself dressed Rey and get that arse out of the door!" she ordered herself out loud.

Obediently she clothed herself in the jeans and top she had picked out earlier as well as pulling on a pair of black socks and sensible black heeled ankle-boots.

Glancing at the clock on her bedroom wall, she realised she needed to leave right away if she wanted to be punctual for the appointment. Reluctantly Rey shut down her laptop and deposited her mobile phone and keys into a long-strapped cream-coloured handbag which she hung around her shoulder. It was a cold day, so she put her coat back on as well.

" _You're a fighter Rey! Even a child can get through a visit to the dentist. You can do this!"_

After taking one last deep breath, she departed from her flat.

* * *

The journey on the underground had been uneventful apart from the inevitable signal failure delays and a few jawa beggars who'd harassed her for spare credits.

As Rey walked about the fancy streets and dwellings that made up the Senate district, she regularly checked she was heading in the right direction using a satnav app on her phone. Soon enough she had 'reached her destination.'

'First Order Dental Clinic' said the shining bronze sign by the door of a very modern and sophisticated-looking building.

It was not overly-large, only a couple of storeys, but the roof curved in an unusual arc and the front was made up almost entirely of dark smoked glass. It gleamed darkly in the sun and left the interior a mystery to prying eyes.

" _OK, this is it… it's been fifteen years, but today you are going to face this phobia Rey,"_ she told herself. Clutching at the strap of her handbag she entered the clinic via an automated revolving door.

Rey had been prepared for the clinic to be claustrophobic and busy, but she was pleasantly surprised to find the reception area was actually quite spacious. There were plenty of plants in the seating area where only a handful of patients were waiting. Tasteful postmodern art was hanging on the walls and a large assortment of magazines were spread out on a low table.

She spied the front-desk at the back of the room. Seated behind it was a stern-looking and broad-shouldered woman with short blonde hair and icy blue eyes. The receptionist gave off an air of superiority that was common to several administrator types Rey had dealt with during her career. This woman considered herself the clinic's gatekeeper and her job was to make sure riff-raff like Rey knew their place.

As she approached the desk, the woman looked up at Rey without expression.

"Hello, my name is Rey Kenobi, I have an appointment with Kylo Ren at 4pm?" she tentatively said.

"Ah yes, good afternoon Ms Kenobi," greeted the receptionist. Rey recognised that low and condescending voice, it was Phasma, the woman whom she'd spoken to on the phone earlier.

Phasma gave her a cold smile. "I'll let Doctor Ren know you're here, in the meantime please could you take a seat and fill out a form so we can register you properly on our database." A clipboard and pen was offered up to Rey and she accepted them politely. "Thank-you," she replied to Phasma before walking over to the waiting area and sitting down in one of the eclectic assortment of chairs.

The registration form seemed pretty long-winded to Rey, however she started to write out the requested information. Full name, address, medical history, occupation, insurance details. It went on and on. The monotonous paperwork did have one benefit... it helped put her mind off where she actually was! Therefore she was quite content to fill out the numerous pages.

* * *

Rey had just finished completing the form, when she heard a deep baritone male voice call out.

"Ms Rey Kenobi?"

Looking up Rey caught sight of the person who had called her name and her breath caught for a moment. Was this her _dentist?_

The man was tall, _very_ tall in fact; probably well over six foot! He had gorgeous waves of long jet black hair that framed his pallid face perfectly. Although he had a prominent nose and his features were unusually long and angular, it also made him _strikingly_ handsome! Even Rey who had little time or inclination to moon over good-looking men was momentarily taken aback…But not for long… other thoughts associated with her phobias soon took over again.

She stood up slowly to confirm her presence.

"I'm Rey," she called out to him.

The tall man turned towards the sound of her voice.

He had the darkest eyes that Rey had ever seen and they now fixed upon her with an unexpectedly intense gaze. For some reason he seemed as intrigued by her appearance as she had been by his and it was _unnerving_ , particularly as she was already on edge. He remained silent for a few beats and then shot her a sardonic half-smile.

"Good afternoon," he said as he abruptly started walking over to her with long commanding strides, proffering his right arm towards her.

"Umm hello," she mumbled uncertainly as he bore down on her position.

He placed himself very close to where she was standing, so close that she was forced to look up at him to maintain eye contact. There was also no room for the business-like handshake that she would normally give to clients and co-workers when she met them for the first time.

" _Doesn't this guy know what 'personal space' is?!"_

Rey awkwardly reached out at an angle to shake his hand, but instead he clasped her small hand tightly in his large palm and just held it motionless in the air between them both.

"I'm Kylo, thank-you for coming to see me today… may I call you Rey?" He asked almost hopefully. He was still staring down at her intently and she hoped she wasn't blushing.

"Y-yes sure," she responded. It was difficult to know whether you were meant to be formal with people like dentists and doctors.

"Thank-you… _Rey_ ," he emphasised the sound of her name thoughtfully, before releasing his hand from hers and placing it on the clipboard she was still holding in her other hand.

"Allow me to carry this for you," he said. His smile, which was turning into a smirk was still beaming down on her.

Rey hesitantly handed over the registration form to him. She wasn't sure why she felt cautious… he was a medical professional after all. Why couldn't she let go of her fears and doubts and just trust him?

Kylo Ren gracefully gestured to a staircase behind him. "Please come this way Rey." He lightly brushed the small of her back and subtly pushed against her with his fingertips, guiding her in the correct direction. Rey didn't flinch from his touch and began walking, but she thought it an odd thing to do… Of course, she was also extremely nervous and this would be evident to him through her posture. let alone her garbled introduction to him. Perhaps it was just his misguided attempt to try and to put her at ease.

She'd expected the prestigious dental clinic to be staffed by older practitioners who had been in the business for decades, building up their reputations over time; but Kylo seemed to be fairly young; probably only in his early thirties at most.

" _He must be really talented to be a leading dentist at such a relatively young age,"_ she mused.

Rey had predicted that her dentist for today would be garbed in some sort of white lab coat, but instead Kylo Ren was wearing loose black scrubs with matching black trousers. It enhanced the overall 'dark gothic prince' look this man already had going for him. Kylo also wore designer black loafers which clomped loudly as they ascended the staircase. Rey noted that his feet were _huge_ , just like his hands were! Somehow she'd always assumed that dentists would need smaller hands and digits to be able to do their work effectively.

When they'd reached the second floor, Rey and Ren walked side by side along a narrow and shadowy hallway with several doors on either side. She passed by one closed door marked with the name 'B Hux.' She could hear whirring sounds coming from behind it…

" _Drills!"_ she thought and halted in her tracks. She couldn't _bear_ that sound…

Kylo's hand was on her back again, no doubt to stop her from bolting back down the stairs!

"My room is just to your right Rey… please go on in, don't be afraid, I know how you feel," he said in a deep soothing voice. She saw dim light flooding into the hallway from a half-open doorway. She nodded, trying to pretend that she was nonchalant about stepping in there, but knowing full-well she was failing miserably.

Like a gentleman Kylo moved ahead and opened the door fully for her.

"Thanks," she muttered.

She dutifully stepped inside the lair of her dentist.

A young man with oily dark hair and a worried expression stood within the room. He had his hands clasped behind his back, seemingly waiting for her to arrive, but when he saw her, he stirred noticeably and flicked his glance to Kylo, whose response was to narrow his dark eyes in warning at the shorter man, who then shied away at once.

" _He fears Kylo Ren,"_ she thought. " _Why?"_

"This is my assistant Mitaka, he will be helping me with your examination today," explained Kylo.

"Welcome," Mitaka said quickly before turning away and busying himself at a computer screen.

"Let me take your jacket and bag for you," Kylo said immediately.

For some reason Kylo felt the need to help her slide her arms out of her unbuttoned coat, before hanging it on a rail along with her handbag.

" _What is with this guy?!"_ she thought. " _He's acting like we're on a blind date or something!"_

The treatment room was fairly small, but it certainly triggered certain memories that Rey had tried to repress over the years… memories which were the catalysts of her dental phobia.

Around the walls were various units and shelves where Rey assumed dental apparatus and materials were stored. The fixtures within the room seemed impossibly sterile and were mostly black or chrome in colour. There were no windows and the fluorescent ceiling lights reflected eerily off the artificial surfaces. The intimidating décor was not helping Rey feel at ease.

A mechanical chair took pride of place in the centre of the room, which appeared extremely sleek-looking and expensive. She deduced the seating and arm-rests were made of high-quality black leather. Rey tried not to focus on the wicked-looking tools and trays that were strategically placed around the chair. Even though it was irrational, in her mind the whole setting was akin to a torture chamber and it filled her with dread.

"Please sit down in the chair," stated Kylo.

She found her feet would not move. Rey didn't want to sit in that ghastly chair!

A large warm hand then enveloped one of hers.

"Allow me to help you."

Kylo's grip was like a vice as he led her over to his chair. Rey was startled, but she allowed him to sit her down sideways on the leather. However the dentist then took matters a step further when he swiftly lifted her legs up from the floor and swept them around so they were laying on the leg rest part of the chair! She stifled down the instinct to protest as he took hold of her shoulders and insistently pushed her backwards until her head made contact with the headrest.

Apparently he was not going to give her a chance to change her mind about going through with this dental appointment.

Now she was in the chair it was surprisingly comfortable, although her triple-bun hairstyle was irritating the back of her skull... Mentally, she was _not_ so comfortable. Rey wasn't entirely sure she was in control of anything that was happening or was _going_ to happen, and this made her feel very vulnerable.

As if he could read her thoughts, Kylo sought to reassure her.

"I can sense you're anxious Rey, but just try to relax; I won't do anything you don't _want_ me to," he smiled at her again and Rey marveled at how attractive his full lips were when he did that!

"You're not merely a patient to me, you're my guest," he added.

He perched on a nearby stool with wheels attached to it and she looked on in silence as he started to read through the details on the registration form she'd given him. He seemed to be poring over it and turning the pages intently.

" _What has he found, that could possibly be so interesting?"_ she wondered.

"The first thing we have to do is _talk_ to each other Rey… I just need to ask you a few questions about your dental history." he said in that velvet voice of his.

Rey nodded her acquiescence. It was a reasonable request, but nonetheless her intuition told her to hide unnecessary details from him if she could. This man was so _intense_ and she felt very exposed to him right now. Her dental phobia was likely exaggerating her neuroses and making her delusional, but it felt like Kylo Ren was the… _enemy_. An enemy that would cause her _pain_ and pull out all her teeth if she gave him too much information!

Kylo rolled forward on the stool so he was situated beside the mechanical dental chair. She stayed facing forward, she didn't trust herself to directly look him in the eyes for too long without showing weakness or making a fool of herself. He was so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her left ear. The sensation sent a shiver up her spine!

She gasped suddenly as she detected movement on her scalp and froze rigid as she felt the bands tying back her hair being pulled loose! Long fingers started glided through her chestnut strands. They pulled and stroked down her long hair so it rested around her shoulders.

She heard him chuckle. "Forgive me, but you looked agitated, so I had a sudden notion to make you more comfortable… you have very pretty hair Rey."

Rey knew she needed to say something to him about his _overfamiliarity_ right away; politeness be damned!

However before she could open her mouth to complain, he began to start asking the dental history questions:

"Tell me… Why has it taken you fifteen years to visit me?!" Kylo Ren demanded.


	3. Don't be Afraid

Rey was taken aback by the lecturing tone of Kylo Ren. She'd known from the start that she'd need to defend her past cowardice around dental visits. However, for him to ask about it so bluntly; and then also throwing the figure of fifteen years in her face! It made her want to sink into the ground with embarrassment.

"I would certainly like to have met you before now, but better late than never I suppose," he added. This remark inexplicably made her blush like a beetroot! He noticed and gave her an unapologetic wolfish grin.

 _"God's why does he have to look so hot when he does that,"_ she thought.

She'd rehearsed her response to that inevitable question, but it now blurted out in a hurried stutter.

"I um… haven't had anything wrong with my teeth since childhood and I just keep forgetting to make regular appointments. When I was younger I'd always be busy with studies and of course these days I'm so caught up with my career..." She trailed off with a shrug of her shoulders, hoping this explanation would be enough to fob him off.

He'd laughed quietly to himself while listening to her excuses.

"That's not the whole truth is it Rey?" he said in a chiding tone.

She looked away guiltily, no longer able to meet his gaze.

"When you booked this appointment I was told that you had a fear of dentists; or did Phasma misinform me? Somehow I doubt it, she's normally very diligent when collecting patient information."

Rey wanted to kick herself. She'd been so agitated on the phone with the receptionist and was now doubly nervous in the presence of an _actual_ dentist. Her brain was so scrambled with anxiety that she was failing to be consistent with her white lies.

Biting her lip, Rey analysed what she should say next. She could hear Mitaka rattling around with something unseen behind her, it sounded metallic and sharp. Squirming in the dental chair she decided there was no point in denying it.

"Yes, it's true…" she admitted to Kylo, still averting her eyes from him.

The sound of a pen scratching was now audible. Kylo was obviously writing notes on the clipboard.

"Don't feel ashamed Rey, dental phobia is _very_ common. Many of my regular patients both young and old, were once afraid of sitting in that chair. I'd Iike to think that under my expert care I've helped them overcome those fears. I'm sure I can do the same for you too… if you'll let me."

Kylo Ren's rich baritone voice now actually sounded quite soothing.

"He is really confident he can win me over," she thought.

Rey cautiously turned her head to look back in his direction. He was smiling again and giving her a friendly nod, but his strange dark eyes did not convey quite the same sentiment. She noticed they were appreciatively roaming up and down her reclining figure… or was it just the blinding pain of her toothache and an irrational fear of dentists causing her to imagine dangers that didn't exist?!

"It might help if you told me about the cause of your phobias… I'm guessing it was a bad childhood experience?" he queried.

Rey wondered if Kylo could read minds, because he'd hit the nail right on the head.

"Yes, that's true again" confirmed Rey.

"Can you elaborate?" he asked gently.

Rey hesitated, she'd never spoken about this to anyone before.

She felt her bad tooth throb suddenly and gasped. Kylo said nothing but tilted his head, encouraging her to tell him what he wanted to know.

"I can take the pain away, I promise, but you're going to have to open up to me Rey. I need to know what happened, how you reacted… what your triggers are," he insisted.

Rey sighed and decided she'd better just tell him and be done with it.

"I was about eleven I think… and I felt this tiny hole in one of my teeth," she instinctively puts her hand to her jaw as she remembers. "So I arranged a dental appointment with this dodgy Jakku surgery located down the road from where I lived at the time."

"You arranged your own medical appointments at such a young age?" he asked with a look of surprise gracing those princely features of his.

"I've always looked after myself," stated Rey matter-of-factly. She didn't particularly want to discuss the details of anything else that didn't relate to his original question. Frankly, that was none of his business!

"To cut a long story short," she continued, "the dentist who saw me… he well… he drilled my tooth without any anaesthetic before roughly pushing the filling in, then he just exited the room! I was left all alone, perched on his chair in agony; yelling for him to come back over and over again until my voice was hoarse. I must have waited there at least an hour because I was sure that someone would help, but nobody came for me. Eventually I just wandered out of the building in a daze with no real understanding of what had happened, but I remember the pain lasted for days afterward. The dentist's name was Plutt and later I found out that the guy had been practicing without a licence! The clinic was shut down by the government a few years later. Since then, I haven't been able to bring myself to step into a dental surgery again."

"Until today" said Kylo. "I wonder, what hurt more, the dentist's negligence or the fact that you were suffering alone."

She wrung her hands together and looked away from him again.

 _"Is Kylo Ren a dentist or does he fancy himself a psychiatrist as well?"_ she wondered.

She then flinched as he suddenly covered her restless hands with his own and pressed them together. His touch was so warm that she concluded she herself must be unusually _cold_ for her to feel it so much.

"I want you to know that I think you've been really brave in coming here today Rey. I'll make sure our appointment is a pleasant experience and then you'll never be afraid of dentistry again. You won't have cause to worry about these things any longer."

Rey wasn't so sure about that but nodded.

She felt strangely grateful that she'd unloaded this long-guarded secret from her past. He'd actually listened to her and _understood_ her fears rather than dismissing them. She had expected to be branded a coward for letting childhood memories stop her from seeing a dentist, but instead he'd told her _not_ to be ashamed.

Granted, this guy was a bit intense… but he did seem to genuinely care how she was feeling. He didn't want her to be afraid of him.

Kylo flipped through a few more pages on the clipboard. "OK Rey, there doesn't seem to be anything to flag up on your registration form, so I think we can start. I'm just going to adjust the chair now so I can examine your teeth more easily. Just lay still and try to relax."

Kylo pulled on a medical mask which covered his mouth and part of his large nose. The mask was black and blended with his long raven hair. He also pulled on some latex gloves… these were black too and almost looked like leather.

He flipped some switches on a remote controller and Rey felt the dental chair shudder and whir as the headpiece started moving backwards and the footrest moved higher. She remained still as instructed, but gripped the armrests as a way of releasing her tension.

Rey was immediately bathed in harsh, bright light as Mitaka activated the lamp that arched over the chair. She squinted as the glare of the lamp made the edges of her eyes weep slightly. She prayed it would not be mistaken for crying.

"You can close your eyes if it's easier," said Kylo.

"Yeah, I think I will," agreed Rey and she squeezed her eyelids shut tightly.

She could sense Kylo leaning in close to her face. "Open your mouth as wide as you can sweetheart," he whispered. Rey could feel his large fingers on her lips and even through the latex they were still warm. Metal started to touch her gums and tongue and she inhaled sharply at the sensation.

"I'm just using a small mirror to take a look," he explained.

One by one he probed around each tooth in turn, whilst barking numbers to Mitaka, whom she could hear typing away on a keyboard. Rey didn't understand what those instructions meant, but she assumed it was assessing how rotten her teeth were.

 _"After all, there is fifteen years' worth of decay saved up in there. Shit.. just how much treatment am I going to need!?"_ she thought with alarm.

Kylo left her problem tooth until the end and like the others before it gave it a slight tap with his mirror after he had examined it. She yelped and closed her mouth instinctively, trapping a couple of his fingers and the mirror at the same time.

"Hmmm that's the sore one isn't it Rey? Don't worry, I'll make it better for you soon."

He carefully allowed his fingers to slide out of her mouth and extracted the mirror, but as he did so, she felt one finger brush along her lower lip, almost like a caress.

 _"Was that deliberate or just my imagination!?"_ she thought. She sincerely hoped she was not still blushing under that hot florescent light.

As she sensed him moving away, Rey opened her eyes a crack to spy him back on his stool and setting up some equipment.

"Well done sweetheart, now I just have to take an x-ray. I'll need to put this sensor in your mouth. You're a petite little thing, so I'm going to need to use the child-size one, I think you might struggle fitting my larger one in" he stated in an amused tone.

 _"He has a strange sense of humour,"_ she thought. _"Also, why is he calling me sweetheart? it's pretty unprofessional!"_

Rey watched as Kylo returned to her side and carefully slid the sensor between her left jaw and cheek.

"I'll come back for you," Kylo assured her before he and Mitaka left the room. She knew this was standard practice for people who worked regularly with x-rays.

The machine clicked away for about thirty seconds. After the noise had ceased, both men returned and resumed their positions. Mitaka gave her another quick glance; the young man really did seem to have something on his mind. It made her feel uneasy that he was not as cheerful as his boss.

Kylo lowered his mask to reveal that charming crooked smile once more.

"OK Rey, it'll take a minute for the x-rays to develop, which provides time to give you a quick summary of what I've found during the examination. You'll be happy to know that most of your teeth are fine, however there are a couple at the back which are in the early stages of decay, so you should try and reduce your sugar intake if possible. Also, your gums are receding a bit more than I would expect for someone of your age. Do you floss regularly?

Rey hesitated, "um yeah…"

She knew she rarely flossed, it made her gums bleed and the sensation of rubbing those white ribbons around the roots of her teeth made her want to faint. It brought up those childhood memories of the dental procedures she feared so much. This of course was not conducive to good oral hygiene and Rey often suffered from acute gingivitis. It was all a vicious circle of fear and denial.

"You can be totally honest with me Rey, I won't judge," he reassured her.

"Well… actually maybe I don't floss enough," she conceded.

Kylo smirked. He seemed pleased that he could draw out the truth from her. "What kind of toothbrush do you use?" he asked.

"An electric one," she tentatively replied.

"Good, make sure you change the head regularly for the best results…"

The pain in Rey's jaw suddenly flared up again and she jerked in alarm. Kylo quickly set down his clipboard and before she knew what was happening, he was leaning over her and taking her hand again… and was his other hand on her thigh?! She could feel his fingertips through her jeans. She wanted to protest, but it seemed unimportant compared to the toothache which was now making her head spin and even causing a few tears to be shed... Instead she could do nothing but grip his hand in return and he seemed quite content to let her sink her fingernails into his palm until the throbbing had died back down to a dull ache.

Her breathing was starting to become fast and hard.

"Rey, try to calm down, I'll sort this out for you sweetheart, but I need you to listen to me explain what I need to do first."

It was difficult, but she tried to block out all the anxiety which was now hitting her in huge crashing waves.

 _"You can do this, you can do this, you are Rey of Jakku and you can achieve anything once you set your mind to it girl!"_ She chanted this litany in her mind repeatedly, trying to block out her fear and thankfully this seemed to work because she began to take regular, longer breaths.

"What's going to happen?" she croaked. "You want to take the tooth out, don't you?!" It was as much an accusation as a question. Rey clenched her hands and feet in anticipation of an affirmative response.

"Oh maker no! First Order Dental isn't like the New Republic Health Service, we don't just pull teeth and send people on their way," he replied. He sounded scandalised that she would even think such a thing. He patted her leg as if to reassure her of this fact… and maybe it sort of _did_ … but it was a bit _weird_ that he still had his hand on her lap.

"I'm going to recommend we do a root canal Rey," he said seriously. "You have a large cavity in that molar and it goes too far down to just fill it. There's also some existing decay which is starting to form an abscess, that's part of the reason why it hurts so badly. The good news is, I'm very confident I can save that tooth for you."

Rey's heart thumped in her chest and her stomach churned as Kylo's diagnosis sank in. She knew all too well that a root canal was one of the most invasive dental procedures a person could have. There would be deep drilling and she'd read some horror stories on the Internet about patients having files stuck in their teeth and kriff knows what else. She could feel herself breaking out in cold sweats around her neck and armpits, yet she was now _determined_ to see this through to the end.

"Alright, l-lets fuh-f-fix it then," she stammered.

Kylo nodded happily.

"That's great Rey! I'm _very_ pleased you're going to do this. In fact, I've decided I'm going to cancel my next patient's appointment so I can take extra time with your treatment and give you the best possible service… That way I can be sure that you'll start seeing me regularly in the future."

Rey was not sure how to respond to this declaration.

 _"Should I thank him for that?"_

She decided to remain silent which in the end seemed to disappoint him.

He pressed gloved fingers to her cheek and stared at her face for a few seconds before once more donning his facemask. Although it modulated his voice somewhat, it didn't impede his speech.

"Mitaka, call through to Phasma to rearrange Mr Darklighter's 5pm slot and hurry up with those x-rays man," he curtly ordered.

The assistant rushed to comply and started talking into a headset.

Although Kylo was being extremely courteous with Rey, it appeared that he also enjoyed being rude to his junior staff. She wondered if he believed this show of authority would impress her… because actually that sort of behaviour _really_ annoyed her. At her own office she was often on the receiving end of a lot of condescending and elitist bullshit. Ren spoke and acted like he might be one of those privileged types… No wonder Mitaka looks miserable.

Mitaka started to tie a gown around her neck. Kylo had snatched her x-rays and now held them up against a lit screen, looking at them closely. While the dentist's back was turned, she gave his assistant a sympathetic glance, but the young man did not acknowledge her and instead hurriedly left the room, shutting the door behind him.

 _"Won't he need to stay here to help out?"_ she thought.

Kylo promptly switched his attentions back to her, once again seemingly within her mind and hearing her unspoken question.

"It's just us now," he said through the mask. "As you are a somewhat nervous patient Rey, I think you might benefit from nitrous oxide during this procedure. Have you experienced gas before?"

She struggled to recollect her memories, it was difficult to think about anything other than the activities within this room right now. "I've had some in hospital before an operation… and um… once in an ambulance."

"The gas here is _slightly_ different," explained Kylo. "My colleague Armitage and I have developed a formula which is especially soothing for our patients. It will make you light-headed, but it will also help you relax and that in turn will make it easier for me to work on you and keep you comfortable. Do you consent to me using it?"

He was staring at her again with those predatory dark eyes, beseeching her to accept his offer.

 _"He's probably doesn't want to deal with a difficult fidgeting patient this late in the day and just wants to clock off on time,"_ she convinced herself. Also, the mercy of being half-asleep during the procedure appealed to her as well. She'd welcome with open arms _anything_ that could get her through this nightmare without vomiting.

"Yes, I'd like the gas please."


End file.
